Baltimore police chase ends in crash; police say suspect is 14

Officer suspended after police officials see SkyTeam 11 video

A police pursuit caught on camera by SkyTeam 11 in Baltimore City on Monday ended with a crash and led to the suspension of an officer involved in the arrest of the juvenile driving that car.

SkyTeam 11 captured on video the car in question heading north on Belair Road around 6 p.m. Monday. Police later confirmed that units with the Baltimore Regional Auto Theft Task Force were not far behind, investigating it as a possible stolen car.

Moments later, the car can be seen veering off the road and crashing into a used car lot and two empty cars near the Sinclair Lane intersection.

"It hit up in the air when the police was chasing him, then he hit this car, and this car smashed into that car," said Cookie Carroll, a witness.

When the car veered off the road, it hit a concrete block.

"That's what made the car go airborne. You can look at the angle -- the car went airborne and came down," witness Eddie Banks said. "But the most important thing about it is, at least the kid was alright." (story continues below)

Following the crash, almost a dozen Baltimore police officers surrounded the car and pulled the juvenile driver out and onto the ground. The exclusive SkyTeam 11 video then shows an officer apparently hitting the driver, while yelling at him and then slapping him.

At a Tuesday news conference, Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez, who is with the Professional Standards and Accountability Bureau, confirmed that the unnamed officer has been suspended with pay.

"Commissioner (Anthony) Batts and myself are very troubled by what we saw on the video," Rodriguez said.

The decision was made after they saw the video on WBAL-TV 11 News.

"We did not like what we saw. We are not waiting for someone to register a complaint. At the commissioner's request, we have initiated a personnel complaint, and we are looking at this incident from the beginning, middle and immediately after," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez could not comment on the investigation or whether there was more behind the story than a stolen car.

As far as using force, Rodriguez said officers can use force in order to protect themselves, their partner or the community.

"Regardless of whether this person was 13 or 33, we want to treat everyone with respect and according to policy and procedure," Rodriguez said.

In the neighborhood where the crash happened, they're not defending the suspect, but were surprised by what happened.

"That's all they do when they chase people is beat them up. The way they beat him up, that's crazy," witness Joe Evans said.

Police said they hear those concerns.

"The message is clear. We will not tolerate officers breaking the law to enforce the law," Rodriguez said.

Witnesses describing the scene told 11 News the driver was not of age to be driving.

"The car was parked right here when the police came, and they got the little boy out. He was 13," Carroll said.

The witnesses told 11 News that another woman who saw the entire incident said she used to babysit the driver, and she also said he was 13. However, police confirmed the driver's age is actually 14.

Police confirmed the car was stolen from Pennsylvania Avenue in Towson. The 14-year-old, whose name has not been released, will be charged as a juvenile, police said.